Electrographic reproduction apparatus are provided with an operator control panel for allowing an operator to program the apparatus for a reproduction run. In its simplest form, the control panel includes several dedicated (hard) buttons and switches for selecting features for a reproduction run, as well as visual indicators for informing the operator which features were selected. The operator control panel can also have a display for displaying messages. The control panel also includes keys and buttons for altering the display to indicate selected options. (See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,222, issued May 12, 1992, to Wilson et al.) The display may also include a touchscreen overlay having "soft buttons" for providing operator input to the reproduction apparatus. (See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,045,880, issued Sep. 3, 1991 to Evanitsky et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,061,958, issued Oct. 29, 1991 to Bunker et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,105,220, issued Apr. 14, 1992 to Knodt et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,049,931, issued Sep. 17, 1991 to Knodt; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,551, issued Apr. 23, 1991 to Goldsmith et al.)
Typically, the operator control panel is mounted on the top and to the rear of the reproduction apparatus and can be reached by a person of average height. Thus, the control panel can be a meter or more above floor level and half a meter or more to the rear of the front surface of the apparatus. Although such a control panel location may be acceptable to an average operator, it is unacceptable to a disabled person in a wheelchair. Placing the operator control panel at the front of the reproduction apparatus may be a solution in equipment having a minimum of operator selectable features. However, in high volume copier-duplicators having a display and many operator selectable buttons and switches, placing the operator controls at the front of the apparatus is undesirable. There is thus a need in reproduction apparatus to provide an auxiliary control that can be used by a disable operator.